1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a shoulder-borne weapon for use as a rocket launcher, comprising at least one longitudinal weapon tube, and one barrel which is at least partially juxtaposed transversally with respect to the tube, comprising shoulder rest means, grip means and firing control means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a rocket is a self-propelled munition which is most usually designed to reconcile the requirements of long range and high kinetic energy upon impact.
In the most commonly known way, rockets of this type are launched by means of shoulder-borne weapons of the type indicated in the introduction. In these shoulder-borne weapons, the weapon tube, which is solidly joined to the barrel, is open at both its transversal ends in order to reduce the recoil effect of the weapon when a rocket is launched. However, the transversal end of a weapon tube which is pointed to the rear, with respect to a determined longitudinal firing direction, suddenly lets a large quantity of hot gas escape when a rocket is launched. This makes it practically impossible to use a weapon of this type in an enclosed space.
In an attempt to overcome these drawbacks, it has also been proposed to use shoulder-borne weapons of the type indicated in the introduction, which however have been used to fire inert projectiles, namely projectiles without propellent, by means of a pyrotechnical ejection charge:
either by providing, at the transversal end of the weapon tube, which is pointed backwards with reference to a determined longitudinal firing direction, a movable chamber which, when a projectile is fired, dampens the recoil effect but lets through the gases resulting from the combustion of the pyrotechnical ejection charge, which is then reduced to restrict the gas emission; this approach has the drawback of not completely preventing the sudden emission of gases behind the weapon tube, namely inside an enclosed space when firing is done from inside such an enclosed space of this type. It also has the drawback of limited range of the weapon because the ejection charge is reduced;
or by providing, within the weapon, for a set of pistons or a bag which confines the combustion gases of the pyrotechnical charge and counter-masses, which are discharged simultaneously with the firing of a projectile, to reduce the recoil effect; this approach has the advantage of being entirely compatible with firing in an enclosed space, in preventing any release of gas outside the weapon, and in practically cancelling the recoil effect; however, this approach entails complication and high cost for the weapon, as well as an increase in mass which makes it necessary to reduce the mass of the other components of the weapon and the projectile in order to keep the mass of the entire unit compatible with firing from the shoulder.
An object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks, that is, to propose a shoulder-borne weapon for use as a rocket launcher which can be used in an enclosed space preventing any discharge of gas towards the inside of this enclosed space, and any ejection of counter-masses and which, at the same time, subjects the gunner to the minimum amount of discomfort caused by recoil when a rocket is launched.